Dear Maintenance Man

by Jerry L’Ecuyer & Frank Alvarez

Dear Maintenance Men:

I am a new owner of a 1965 four-plex. I am living in the front owner’s unit. It truly is a great place to live. However, I am quite concerned about my privacy and the fact that I can hear my tenant’s conversations, their TV or radio through the common wall between the units. I figure if I can hear them, they can hear me. I do know I probably lack insulation but do not want to make the expense of ripping drywall out and so on. Do you have any other suggestions?

Tom

Dear Tom:

We agree, the worst job to do in an occupied unit is significant drywall work. The dust and debris are awful no matter how good your dust control method. Fortunately, in your case you can address this problem by using a product called Acousticcoat #150 which is basically a lightly textured water based flat latex paint, formulated with hollow ceramic micro spheres and sound absorbing fibers and resins. To spare our readers a crash course in chemistry, we will give you the basic highlights.

Acoustic-coat #150 is a sound reduction paint, which can reduce sound transmission by 30% and will also dramatically reduce sound echo in the room. Acoustic-coat #150 can be used on walls and ceiling and also has excellent insulating properties. This sound reduction paint is most effective for speech range frequencies.

The paint can be bought premixed or as a powdered additive and added to your paint. Please refer to this web site for more detailed info: www.ceramicadditive.com.

Dear Maintenance Men:

Why does the “upside down cup” on the edge of my kitchen sink leak and squirt water every time the dishwasher is used?

George

Dear George:

A quick primer: The “upside down cup” is the dishwasher’s air-gap. Its job is to keep the dirty water the dishwasher discharges from returning back into the dishwasher through the siphon process. The way the dishwasher air-gap works is that water is pumped up to the air-gap at the rim of the sink and the water then falls through an open air cavity and drops by gravity into a larger diameter hose. The larger hose is typically connected to the garbage disposal, which will allow the dishwasher to drain into the sewer system. The reason the air-gap squirts or leaks at the sink rim level is because the drain line leading from the air-gap to the disposal is clogged. The hose may be kinked or food particles from the garbage disposal has blocked off the hose end. The easiest solution is to remove the section of hose from the between the air-gap and the garbage disposal. Clean the hose and remove all debris. Be sure to clean out the connection at the garbage disposal. A small screwdriver is perfect for removing any blockage. Reassemble the hose and test. If the problem persists, the air-gap may need to be replaced.

Dear Maintenance Men:

A building inspector once made me correct a sump pump plumbing line that discharged rainwater into a municipal sewer line. Can you clarify for me the do’s and don’ts of patio drains?

Michael

Dear Michael:

Great question and one that many people might not think is important. To many, a drain is a drain is a drain and most individuals don’t know where the water drains to and what environmental impact wastewater can cause. In urban areas and most municipalities, waste waters are directed to their proper destinations via a sewer drain or a storm drain. As an example: A sewer drain often carries wastewater from toilets, kitchens & laundry area directly to a wastewater treatment facility. On the other hand, a storm drain will direct rainwater from roof, driveways and streets including patio drains into streams, aquifers or the ocean. The reason for the two different systems is so rain or runoff water does not overwhelm the sewer waste treatment facilities and force the release of untreated raw sewage into the storm systems which of course leads to our streams, aquifers and the ocean. Because the storm & sewer drains eventually empty into the environment, contaminants such as oil, paint and other hazardous material must be disposed of properly and not into the drains. Check with your city or county as some municipalities have very specific rules about run off water.

WE NEED Maintenance Questions!!! If you would like to see your maintenance question in the “Dear Maintenance Men:” column, please send in your questions to: DearMaintenanceMen@ gmail.com

Bio:

If you need maintenance work or consultation for your building or project, please feel free to contact us. We are available throughout Southern California. For an appointment, please call Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. at 714 956-8371

Frank Alvarez is licensed contractor and the Operations Director and co-owner of Buffalo Maintenance, Inc. He has been involved with apartment maintenance & construction for over 30 years. Frankie is President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and a lecturer, educational instructor and Chair of the Education Committee of the AAOC. He is also Chairman of the Product Service Counsel. Frank can be reached at (714) 956-8371 Frankie@BuffaloMaintenance.com For more info please go to: www.BuffaloMaintenance.com

Jerry L'Ecuyer is a real estate broker. He is currently a Director Emeritus and Past President of the Apartment Association of Orange County and past Chairman of the association’s Education Committee. Jerry has been involved with apartments as a professional since 1988.